TAB. CCLXXXVI.
AGARICUS muscarius. With. v. 4. 184.
Here is an example of running into error by being too nice; Linnæus seems to have described this plant but once, and we with great pleasure go back to our original master. The varieties that occur have been by different authors described as so many species. I must notice some of its varieties here, with a few of their synonyms; but will endeavour to enumerate them more fully hereafter. The whole plant is sometimes yellow, whence Schæffer's A. citrinus, exhibited in my smallest figure. Small varieties of the red one with the remains of the annulus beautifully spotting the pileus, are called Agaricus imperialis by Batsch, and without the spots A. Puella. When of a lead colour it has been called A. plumbens by Schæffer, and others. On account of its being spotted it has been called A. maculatus; when the spots are small A. pusulatus, see Schæffer tab. 90 and 91. When the spots resemble warts it has been called A. verrucosus by Curtis, &c. when tawny A.fulvus by Schæffer. A. bulbosus Schæffer, &c. is another variety. This plant consifts of more parts than any other Agaric we know of, having a volva, annulus, and stipes[1]. We have occasionally met with an Agaric in all respects like these, but wanting the annulus, which however seems scarcely to constitute it a species. Linnæus says this is a most poisonous Agaric, and that a decooction of it in milk will destroy muscæ or flies; whence its name. He also recommends it as destuctive to the Cimex lectularius or bed bug, by being applied to furniture twice or thrice in a season.
TAB. CCLXXXVII.
AGARICUS racemosus.
This singular Agaric we have once met with in Peckham wood, in October 1794. It was unluckily gathered too precipitately,and therefore we are ignorant what sort of a root it had, or whether it was parasitical like that figured by Mr. Persoon, in his Tentamen Difpositionis Methodicas Fungorum, tab. 3, fig. 8, which is parasitical on a similar substance with our Peziza tuberosa, see tab. 63. Perdoon calls the latter Sclerotium lacunosum, tab., fig. 7.
- ↑ It must be remembered that the volva of Linnseus is now called the annulus, and velum, or veil, by Withering, when thin or transparent.
